


In Things Unseen

by callmeonetrack



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-16 23:51:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9295121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callmeonetrack/pseuds/callmeonetrack
Summary: Lee'sSine Qua Nonhas always been Kara.





	

Lee watched the raptor pull away until it was out of sight and Kara watched Lee. He was standing tall, his face stoic, but the look in his eyes… _frak_. They needed to get off this hangar deck RFN.

“Come on, I’ll fly you back to Colonial One.”

He turned to her, surprise on his face. “You can’t.”

“I’m cleared for leave.”

Lee frowned, confused. “The CAG doesn’t get leave.”

“Today she does.” When the Admiral had called Kara to request the raptor be readied and told her what he was doing, she had hung up the phone and then, after a moment of stunned silence, she picked it right back up to make the arrangements. “Helo’s covering. He knows where to find me if something goes wrong.”

His eyebrows raised and he stayed silent long enough that Kara felt a flush of unexpected self-consciousness. Like it was a stranger and not Lee at all standing next to her in a new suit, looking lost. She shifted uncomfortably, one shoulder rising in a semi-shrug. “Just thought you might want the compan—”

“I do,” he said, before she even got out the last syllable. “Let’s go.”

She let out a breath and nodded, her lips curving slightly. “After you, Mister President.”

****

The journey over had been silent save for the usual radio commands, and Kara was wondering again if this wasn’t the best idea, even as she followed Lee onto Colonial One. It struck her suddenly that it’d been more than two months since they’d been alone together—before the Demetrius, before the brig even, since there’d been guards posted. It was a long time.

Too long, maybe.

Nevertheless, she stepped through the curtain to the aft compartment, and Lee pulled it shut behind them as her eyes skirted around the room. “Nice digs.”

“It’s only temporary. The pres-” he faltered, his brow pinching as he headed over to his desk. “Laura Roslin’s things are still in the official quarters.” Lee rubbed a hand over his mouth. “It’s been a heck of a day.”

There were lines around his eyes that she didn’t remember. Kara frowned, noting the way his shoulders bowed, and felt a sudden wave of nostalgia for the days when their _serious_ discussions revolved around good hygiene and Caprican poetry. She crossed her arms, leaning back against the nearest wall, and tried on the old smirk. “I bet, President _Leland_.”

“I was hoping you hadn’t heard that.” Lee sank down into his chair and narrowed his eyes disapprovingly.

She pushed off the wall with her foot and strode over to perch a hip on the other side of the desk. “You really think I would have missed your moment of glory?” Kara yanked the zip on her flight suit down and worked her arms out. “I was flying CAP, had Dee patch the wireless into my comm channel.”

He quirked an eyebrow in surprise. Kara just shrugged. They’d been civil.

“Well, believe it or not, the inauguration wasn’t even the most exciting part of my day.” It was her turn to raise a brow. “ _That_ would have been the part where Romo held me at gunpoint. “

“What?!” Kara’s eyes narrowed and she hopped off the desk, stalking around it to lean against the edge next to Lee. “That frakking weasel lawyer pulled a gun on you?”

Lee nodded. “And you don’t know the half of it.” He told her what happened, and when he got to the bit about Romo's dead cat, Kara’s face twisted in disgust. “My gods, I bet that smelled worse than the Demetrius.”

To her surprise, he chuckled. “Worse than the inside of the raider you dragged back from that moon.”

Kara grinned down at him. “Worse than Hot Dog’s flightsuit after a double shift.” The pained look on Lee’s face was so comical that a laugh burbled up from her chest, full-bodied and unbidden. Her eyes squeezed shut as she gave in to it. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed like that. It felt damn good.

When she opened her eyes, Lee was looking up at her, watching her closely. His face was unreadable but when he leaned forward, a tentative smile appeared under serious eyes. “It’s good to see you again, Kara.”

Her own smile came easy, and after a moment, she said, “I missed you too.”

His eyes locked on hers and they studied each other for a protracted moment. Then he rose, stepping closer, and Lee’s gaze flickered to the floor. “Kara…” his voice trailed off, then after a long minute he lifted his head again slowly.

_“What if he doesn’t come back?”_

She felt a sharp tickle in her throat at the gravity of his words and the bereft look on his face. Kara didn’t know what to say, so she slid off the desk to her feet and reached for his hand, lacing her fingers with his and tugging him forward. When she slid her arms around Lee, he returned the embrace with a fierceness she wasn’t expecting, fingers clutching at her sides. He dropped his head to her shoulder, turning his face into her neck and Kara slid one hand up to cradle his nape, stroking gently.

They were alone now—truly alone—and she could feel the tears building, ready to escape, so she shut her eyes and just concentrated on the feel of Lee’s body in her arms. The warmth of his cheek laid against hers, the solid breadth of his back under her hand. Kara rubbed circles between his shoulder blades, her own breath shuddering out in sighs. It’d been a long time since she’d held anyone this way. Not since Kacey really.

They stood locked together for several minutes. Finally Lee lifted his head, pulling back slightly. His eyes were wet and he wore a sheepish smile.

“Sorry. I …uh…”he chuckled nervously. Lee tilted his head, eyes fluttering shut momentarily as he released her and gestured over his shoulder. “I should… grab a shower.” 

She grinned again, unable to resist teasing him now. “That an invitation?”

He froze, his mouth open in a small “o” shape, his brow crinkled. “Uh… well—“

Kara laughed, reaching out and giving his chest a little shove. “Go shower.” She chanced a wink. “I know how strongly you feel about good hygiene.”

A relaxed smile popped up at that, but Lee hesitated before moving away. “Do you have to—”

“I’ll be here.”

****

Not fifteen minutes later, Lee emerged from the bathroom feeling halfway human again finally. His eyes fell first on the flightsuit draped over his chair, and next to the short trail of boots and socks that led across the room to his bed.

Kara was tucked under the covers, fast asleep.

For a moment, he just watched her. The tie in her hair had fallen out and the gold strands spilled over his pillow. Lee hitched his towel higher and walked over, edging down onto the thin mattress near her feet, being careful not to wake her. Kara looked peaceful in sleep, and he was glad.

He’d worried about her, thought of her every day she was off on that garbage scow looking for some mystical sign that might never materialize. Lee hadn’t questioned that giving up his wings and following this path was the right decision, but it also hadn’t stopped the longing to be out there with her. It’d been sharp enough sometimes to make his chest ache, even to awaken him in the middle of the night.

He must have moved, or she’d sensed his presence, because Kara shifted suddenly, her eyes fluttering open. “Oh, hey,” she yawned as she propped herself up on her elbows, smiling. “Sorry. Guess a real bed was a bit too much temptation.” She shrugged a shoulder. “I haven’t been sleeping much lately.”

The implication of her words made his skin heat, and he looked away. “Right. You and Sam must have a lot of time to make up for.” He’d tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but he wasn’t quite sure he’d succeeded.

Her hand fell on his arm. “Lee, I’m not with Sam anymore.” He turned at that, unable to help himself and Kara was staring at him intently, eyes serious. “Things were over between us before… before I came back.” She paused, brow furrowing, her voice quieter. “They never should have started in the first place.”

“Seems like I’ve heard that before.” There was no mistaking the bitterness that time.

He half expected her to fling back the covers, retreat like always, but she didn’t move. “No, it’s different now,” her tone was insistent. “The last time we,” the pause was infinitesimal but Lee didn’t miss it, “were together, I couldn’t feel _anything_.”

He winced. He didn’t want to hear this. Suddenly very aware of how exposed he was, Lee shifted, rising slightly. Kara’s grip clamped tighter on his arm, tugging him back down, already talking.

“Listen, okay? Since I came back all I could focus on was finding a way back to Earth, and gods, I just— I frakked it all up again!” She shook her head, grimacing. “The Demetrius was a clusterfrak. Matthius died and Sam shot Gaeta—”

Lee’s head shot up at that. “That was an accident,” Kara said quickly. “He was trying to protect me.”

“From _Felix Gaeta_?”

She sighed. “There was a mutiny, and—” Lee’s eyes widened. “No, no, that’s not the point. The point is…” she took a deep breath, her head bowing. “I couldn’t feel _anything_ , Lee. I was so numb all the time…” Kara paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I thought I was dead.” Round hazel eyes flickered up and fixed on his. “Maybe I _am_ dead. You saw me die.”

Lee swallowed hard, unsure of what to say. The explosion played on a constant loop behind his eyes even still. It was true. But he had to say something; he couldn’t stand the look in her eyes right now. “Ka—”

Her fingers dug into his forearm suddenly and her eyes were wide and pleading, locked on his as she cut him off. “But I feel alive with you.” Kara’s shoulders hitched up, nostrils flaring as she inhaled deeply, her brow furrowed. “ _Only with you_.”

Something snapped at the words, and he reached for her, pulling Kara to him, one hand cradling her head, another at her waist as he covered her mouth with his own. The constant worry, the stress, the tension all fled away as he kissed her. He’d wanted this for so long, hadn’t really dared to dream about it though. Lee wasn’t a religious man but it seemed tantamount to tempting some higher power—or maybe just fate. To even hope, after Kara had come back, that she could also come back _to him_ , seemed…greedy. Impossible. Unfathomable.

Yet here she was, touching him, kissing him, staring at him now with what sure as hell looked like love in her eyes. A hint of confusion too. “Why’d you stop?” her lips were red, hair mussed, her light skin flushed.

“I didn’t think this would happen like this.” He hadn’t thought it could be this easy between them. After everything.

Her eyes lit up and her mouth quirked. “What, you wanted to do it on the desk? Isn’t that a bit of a cliché, Mr. President?”

Same old Kara. He chuckled, maybe with not a small amount of relief. “ _No_ , I just …” he shook his head, met her eyes seriously, his thumb stroking the soft skin beneath her ear. “I wasn’t sure this would happen ever again.”

She tilted her head and reached up to cup his face, drawing him closer “I was.” Her voice was low but strong. “I’m unsure of a hell of a lot of things right now, Lee. But not this.” She shook her head, her forehead brushing against his. “Not us.” Kara pressed warm, soft lips to his and slid her hands to his shoulders, drawing him down over her as she laid back on the bed.

Time passed and he got lost, lost in the scent of her skin, the feel of her body under his. It’d been more than a year but his mind easily mapped the flesh he didn’t get to explore on their one previous night together. Determined to rectify the situation, he pressed burning lips to soft skin in hidden places. Lee took his time, and when he was finally, finally, inside her, he didn’t dare close his eyes, not for a second. Kara stared back, eyes locked on his the whole time, gaze never wavering, and with every push-and-pull of their bodies, he felt his lingering doubts fade, replaced by a surety that his connection to this woman was beyond resistance, and one that time and circumstance—even death—could never alter.

After, when they lay tangled, lazy with contentment, Kara suddenly chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“You think Roslin and your Dad ever…? On the desk?”

His head popped up and she cackled loudly at the tortured look that surely must have adorned his face. “Ok, I’m getting a new one now. Tomorrow.”

“Good to see you exercising that presidential privilege for the real important stuff.” She nodded at him, mouth smirking.

“Ha ha,” he said, unamused. “Well, it’s only temporary anyway. When Laura… when she…” He faltered, took a breath, unwilling to voice either way what fates might be waiting for the president. “Well, when it’s time, we’ll have a real election.” He nodded firmly.

Kara’s sympathetic smile changed into something slower, sexier, and she cocked an eyebrow at him as she reached down, fingers closing over him and tugging. “Well, you’ve already got my vote.” Her voice was a sultry drawl. “Can I tick your box now?”

Lee grinned, his body already responding, even as his mind reeled with thoughts of what needed to be sorted still. “There’s a lot of work to be done. The next few months are important. If we can make some changes now, then long-term, I’ll—or whoever is appointed—will be able to—”

“You’re already worried about re-election?” she cackled, releasing him and shaking her head. “Such a politician. Gods, you were born for this.”

“Hey! It’s just there’s a lot of groundwork to cover and time is short.”

She rolled her eyes a little. “You’ll get it done.”

He shook his head, anxious now as he thought of the task ahead of him. “You should see the Quorum though, Kara. I swear they’re like schoolkids!”

“Lee—”

“No really, they can’t agree on anything. I don’t know how Roslin thought I could—”

“LEE,” she said loudly, eyes wide. Kara caught his face in her palms and she smiled, her next words spoken slowly and clearly. “You were born for this.”

He blinked and stilled. Incongruously, his father’s words from earlier in the day flashed in his head suddenly. _Sine qua non._ That without which not. Lee hadn’t understood at the time, hadn’t made the connection somehow, but now he did.

It had always been her.

He lowered his head then, democracy momentarily forgotten, and kissed her again, mouth moving on her skin until they were breathless, panting for each other once more. When Lee finally slid inside her again, a slow smile stretched across Kara’s face. Brushing his lips against hers, he whispered into her mouth. “I was born for _this_."

*******

Later, as they dressed, the worry seeped back in, settling on his shoulders like a mantle. Once the fleet found out that his father was gone—once the Quorum did—what would happen? What if Roslin died out there? What if the cylons…

Kara touched his shoulder, startling him out of his reverie. She frowned at him, somehow reading his mind. “He’ll find her, Lee.”

“How can you be sure?”

“He has faith.”

She slipped a hand into the inner pocket of her flight suit for a moment, then withdrew it, her fist tightly closed. Kara held her hand out to him, fingers slowly unfurling. The figurine of the goddess Aurora lay in her palm, the metal shining dully under the cabin’s low lighting. Lee’s eyes skipped to Kara’s face and he wondered if she knew it was a promise when he gave it to her all those months ago.

But then she smiled. And he knew.

“Sometimes that’s all you need.”

—fin— 


End file.
